Payment card reconciliation by authorization code

Abstract

A payment processor acting on behalf of a third party administrator to make payment on an adjudicated claim makes a straight through payment to an acquirer for a health care provider's merchant account. Via the authorization process, the payment processor generates an authorization code which is returned to the health care provider on its merchant statement for the payment. Concurrently, the remittance advice from the third party administrator is linked to the same authorization code as the payment by the payment processor which sends the advice in an 835 -formatted transmission to the health care provider. Thus, the remittance advice may be linked (reconciled) with the payment on the merchant statement by the common authorization code.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors of a payment processor computing system and over a computer network, a data file comprising (1) instructions to pay one or more adjudicated claims in an authorized amount to a healthcare provider having a unique identifier, and (2) a remittance advice file originating in response to one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider: 
 electronically requesting, by the one or more processors and from a payment issuing authority, electronic payment data for the authorized amount corresponding to the one or more adjudicated claims: 
 electronically sending, by the one or more processors and to a merchant acquirer for the healthcare provider, the unique identifier and the electronic payment data; 
 generating, by the one or more processors, an authorization code for an electronic payment authorization request associated with the data file; 
 setting, by the one or more processors, the authorization code to a claim identifier value provided in the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider, wherein an authorization response associated with the electronic payment authorization request includes the claim identifier value as the authorization code: 
 generating, by the one or more processors, a modified remittance advice file by inserting the authorization code into the remittance advice file; and 
 electronically sending, by the one or more processors and to the healthcare provider, the modified remittance advice file, wherein the authorization code links funds received through an electronic payment transaction to the modified remittance advice file such that the healthcare provider can automatically reconcile a payment received through the electronic payment transaction with the modified remittance advice file. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 electronically sending, by the one or more processors, the claim identifier value as the authorization code to the payment issuing authority such that the payment issuing authority can include the claim identifier value as the authorization code in the authorization response to the merchant acquirer electronically requesting authorization from the payment issuing authority. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic payment data is configured to be charged an amount equal to the authorized amount for payment of the one or more adjudicated claims. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a tax identification number. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the electronic payment data is sent to the healthcare provider instead of the merchant acquirer so that the healthcare provider can electronically request authorization for the electronic payment data in an amount equal to the authorized amount to be paid to the healthcare provider for the one or more adjudicated claims. 
 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic payment data comprises a virtual payment card. 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the remittance advice file and the modified remittance advice file are in a first format and the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider are in a second format. 
     
     
       8. A system comprising one or more processors and at least one memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, over a computer network, a data file comprising (1) instructions to pay one or more adjudicated claims in an authorized amount to a healthcare provider having a unique identifier, and (2) a remittance advice file originating in response to one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider: 
 electronically requesting, from a payment issuing authority, electronic payment data for the authorized amount corresponding to the one or more adjudicated claims; 
 electronically sending, to a merchant acquirer for the healthcare provider, the unique identifier and the electronic payment data: 
 generating an authorization code for an electronic payment authorization request associated with the data file; 
 setting the authorization code to a claim identifier value provided in the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider, wherein an authorization response associated with the electronic payment authorization request includes the claim identifier value as the authorization code: 
 generating a modified remittance advice file by inserting the authorization code into the remittance advice file; and 
 electronically sending, to the healthcare provider, the modified remittance advice file, wherein the authorization code links funds received through an electronic payment transaction to the modified remittance advice file such that the healthcare provider can automatically reconcile a payment received through the electronic payment transaction with the modified remittance advice file. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 electronically sending the claim identifier value as the authorization code to the payment issuing authority such that the payment issuing authority can include the claim identifier value as the authorization code in the authorization response to the merchant acquirer electronically requesting authorization from the payment issuing authority. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic payment data is configured to be charged an amount equal to the authorized amount for payment of the one or more adjudicated claims. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a tax identification number. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic payment data is sent to the healthcare provider instead of the merchant acquirer so that the healthcare provider can electronically request authorization for the electronic payment data in an amount equal to the authorized amount to be paid to the healthcare provider for the one or more adjudicated claims. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic payment data comprises a virtual payment card. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the remittance advice file and the modified remittance advice file are in a first format and the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider are in a second format. 
     
     
       15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, over a computer network, a data file comprising (1) instructions to pay one or more adjudicated claims in an authorized amount to a healthcare provider having a unique identifier, and (2) a remittance advice file originating in response to one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider: 
 electronically requesting, from a payment issuing authority, electronic payment data for the authorized amount corresponding to the one or more adjudicated claims: 
 electronically sending, to a merchant acquirer for the healthcare provider, the unique identifier and the electronic payment data: 
 generating an authorization code for an electronic payment authorization request associated with the data file: 
 setting the authorization code to a claim identifier value provided in the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider, wherein an authorization response associated with the electronic payment authorization request includes the claim identifier value as the authorization code: 
 generating a modified remittance advice file by inserting the authorization code into the remittance advice file; and 
 electronically sending, to the healthcare provider, the modified remittance advice file, wherein the authorization code links funds received through an electronic payment transaction to the modified remittance advice file such that the healthcare provider can automatically reconcile a payment received through the electronic payment transaction with the modified remittance advice file. 
 
     
     
       16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 electronically sending the claim identifier value as the authorization code to the payment issuing authority such that the payment issuing authority can include the claim identifier value as the authorization code in the authorization response to the merchant acquirer electronically requesting authorization from the payment issuing authority. 
 
     
     
       17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic payment data is sent to the healthcare provider instead of the merchant acquirer so that the healthcare provider can electronically request authorization for the electronic payment data in an amount equal to the authorized amount to be paid to the healthcare provider for the one or more adjudicated claims. 
     
     
       18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic payment data comprises a virtual payment card. 
     
     
       19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the remittance advice file and the modified remittance advice file are in a first format and the one or more claims previously submitted by the healthcare provider are in a second format.